Get hitched, knocked up and kick the bucket. Sounds short, doesn’t it? And not particularly sweet. But these three little throwaway phrases constitute what are offi cially known as REALLY BIG LIFE EVENTS.

Let’s break them down – we’ve got committing yourself to one person and vowing to love them with all your heart as long as you both shall live; bringing a new life into the world and being responsible for its wellbeing; and finally leaving the world, the only home you’ve ever known, forever. Put like that, they do sound pretty big.

So why are we talking about them here? Well, if or when you hit one of these life events (and I hope I’m not the one to break it to you that you’re going to have to face at least one of them one day), you have a choice. You can stick your fi ngers in your ears while trilling ‘la la la’ or you can grab with both hands the chance to take stock of where you’re headed, refl ect on your place in the world and your impact upon it.

In the case of impending nuptials, this means pressing pause before you make a wholesale purchase of everything the wedding mags are throwing at you. Instead, take time to talk to your partner about your vision of your shared future. It means creating a ceremony and celebration that reflects your values and gives everyone else something to celebrate too. Perhaps that means choosing local and fair trade food, an ethically sourced ring, or other goodies that can be used again and treasured by you and your guests, from wear-again bridesmaid dresses to fl owering plants as table decorations.

When bringing a new life into the world it means not only being concerned for the wellbeing of your child but also for the world in which they’ll be growing up, whether that’s by going organic (good for your kid, good for the soil), taking full advantage of passed down clothes (kinder on the wallet too), or making diffi cult decisions between disposable and washable nappies.

And if you or someone close to you is preparing for the final farewell – the biggest life event of them all – it could help to know that by exploring the options for environmentally friendly funerals and personal, meaningful ceremonies, this last step could be the lightest one of all.

Among these pages you’ll find people who can help you with all of these life defining events in a thoughtful and planet-friendly way; all you have to do is ask.

Enjoy your green life!